Redemption
by Red4321
Summary: If holding in her secret wasn't hard enough. The larger secret shes kept hidden sits inside her own mind slowly torturing her. Can she reach out, and if she does, will anyone catch her when she falls? THIS IS ON HOLD - SORRY Anime ADHD over here
1. Chapter 1

Alright this is my second attempt at writing something. I feel honestly that for two teenagers to have their whole lives twisted from being normal kids, into dealing with terrifying situations without any real support that can help them. They really don't explore the weight that these people are under. I've aged the characters up for possible mature content later.

I'm writing based loosely on personal experience. Keep that in mind when you review/comment. By all means make suggestions/corrections/ and if I misspell or make typos – my bad. I will try to go behind and clean those up once brought to my attention.

Marinette was exhausted. She had been fighting akumas for 4 years with her partner and the weight of all that she has seen just kept building in her subconscious. It was bad enough having nightmares where the good guys didn't win, where Hawkmoth stole the miraculous and she failed all of paris.

But after years of on again off again nightmares the subconscious was leaking into her daytime thoughts as she often found herself too tired to focus and now she was having daymares.. She had tried melatonin as a first step to try and regulate her sleeping and at first it had been helpful, but over time her body had built up a resistance to it and it wasn't as effective. She was nervous about how much was too much before it became overall more harmful than helpful to her body. When she decided to mention it to her parents for their advice, they had suggested it sounded like she may have anxiety issues and insisted she see a doctor for advice.

So that's how she found herself sitting in Dr. Dubois office, feeling dumb and as if she was over reacting to these sleep issues, but also knowing that she needed some help before a small issue turned into a much larger one.

"Good Afternoon Ms. Dupain-Cheng, how are you today?"

Marinette shifted uncomfortably trying to find an honest answer. It's so easy to default into saying 'I'm fine' or 'Good'; but if that were the case she wouldn't be here to begin with. But the truth was hard to say as well, so she settled for the middle man response.

"I've had better days that's for sure." Even that small admission put a pit in her stomach.

The doctor gave her a small reassuring smile that seemed to appease the apprehension Marinette felt.

"So what is it you came in for today?"

Here it goes…"I've been having trouble sleeping for a while now, I've been trying melatonin for the last year when it seemed I really couldn't sleep but now I'm starting to think that taking it every night instead of dealing with whatever the underlying issue is may not be enough.

Dr. Dubois just listened intently and took in all the information the young woman told her. She certainly wasn't the first patient she's had with insomnia or anxiety, but before deciding her course of action she would need more information to narrow down exactly what was going on.

She looked at Marinette with a practiced façade of complete understanding. "Do you happen to know what may have happened in the last year that may have started triggering these sleeping issues? Do your nightmares often have a reoccurring theme? As far as melatonin is concerned it's an all-natural remedy that plenty of people with sleep issues use to help regulate their habits, but in more extreme cases it can sometimes not be effective. As always like you're doing now, it's best to try and resolve the underlying issue if at all possible. Sometimes what people feel is a disease is really just a Dis-ease and if that's the case it's better to work out the issue than to medicate it. In other instances it can be a chemical in balance in the brain that does require a careful prescription to help your body stay balanced and operating in the normal ranges. How have your moods been in the last year? Any recent behavior changes? Traumatic experiences? Changes in your lifestyle?"

' _ohhhh I like her'_ Marinette thought to herself. Already this new doctor she had just picked out of the phone book was better than the old doctor she had been forced to go to all while she was growing up. The old doctor was a grumpy old man stuck in the middle ages who thought that women still got "hysteria". He never listened to her for minor things and he was what made her refuse to go see doctors unless she was practically dying. That would explain why she hadn't set foot in a clinic in 6 years. It was only after her parent's suggestion and Tikki's insistent prodding to at least just be evaluated that she agreed. Luckily for her she no longer had to be under her parents insurance and see that quack, she had her own job that came with its own insurance, it wasn't the greatest but it was paying for this lady.

With a weight she didn't realize she had been feeling, lifted off her shoulders at someone who seemed to be actually listening and believing her thus far, Marinette finally opened up about how she actually felt.

"Truth be told I am known for my positivity and creativity, for being many people's strength and supporting my friends and family. None of that has changed. I enjoy being that person, it makes me happy when those I love and care about are happy. But.."

This was hard. I feel a hot chill go down my spine as I'm about to tell a complete stranger about my weakness and vulnerabilities. But I'm ladybug, I'm not allowed to feel this way, show this side…Oh god I could just vomit. I'm starting to sweat now and it's hard to progress much further. Dr. Dubois is being very kind and patient while she waits for me to resume my sentence. Too late to go back, too late to not be sitting here right now…in for a penny in for a pound. Besides, it's not like she knows I'm ladybug, she can only judge Marinette.

"…I hold that exterior for them. People come to me with their issues and concerns and I help them. I do have a best friend that I talk to, but I find that some things I simply can't share with her, some things must remain a secret and those things are the bulk of what cause me to have 'daymares' and cry randomly and worry all the time. But no one is allowed to see that, I hide from my parents and my friends when I feel like I'm about to break down, I make excuses as to why I can't hang out, I run off to be on my own a lot and I always have a good cover story. I tell them I have to help my parents in the bakery, or I tell my parents I have a lot of homework to do. But truthfully I'm in my room sitting in my head torturing myself with these scenes of failure and consequences and how I would survive moving forward if I failed. I feel sick all the time, it actually hurts sometimes when I'm with my friends trying to just be normal and I have this anxiety sitting on my chest..it feels like an actual physical thing just sitting there." …Immediately I feel lighter and still a bit anxious. A nervous smile comes to my face because finally after all this time, the monster within me has been given voice. I can't quite look the Dr. in the eye… What if she's looking at me thinking I just blew this up and out of proportion?

truly felt for the young lady. She knew anxiety when she heard it, but still she hadn't answered all of the questions she asked. Assuming she simply forgot to address all the questions in her state of verbal vomiting; she pressed Marinette for answers to everything else.

She learned that overall things were pretty good. Marinette lived with her best friend in a small apartment that she could tell she was very proud of. She worked for a tailor shop that was within walking distance of her apartment, and picked up odd jobs here and there for extra cash. Marinette had stated that the dreams started 4 years ago, but didn't pick up frequency and intensity until the last year. The theme stemmed around failure and helplessness, which is very common for a lot of people.

"Ok Marinette taking in consideration everything you've told me, in conjunction with your medical history I reviewed while you waited for me. I want to do a blood drawl to check your levels and see if there may be anything that looks off. I would suggest a Vitamin D supplement and a 3 month prescription of fluoxetine at 10 mg. The prescription is for 3 months as it will take 1 month for any anti-depression/anxiety to take effect, but you will need to follow up with me in 3 months to assess progress and how you've been feeling before I renew the prescription. In those three months I also strongly encourage you to see a behavioral cognitive therapist, they specialize in resolving underlying issues like these and more often than not, most of my patients don't need this medicine for very long.

Marinette was grateful to finally have a starting point. She of course couldn't tell the good doctor about the traumatic experience that happened a year ago that really set these nightmares on fire; and she had been kind enough not to dig' _…I suppose that's why she suggested the therapist to do her dirty work there'_.

Thanking the doctor for her time and understanding, Marinette paid her fee at the front desk and setup an appointment at a local lab for the blood work. Once everything was scheduled she hurried out the door. Finally outside a wave of relief washed over her. She was finally alone and safe and not around anyone who knew her secrets…well sort of anyway..

"See I told you not all doctors are backwards and rude!" Tikki piped up from Marinette's purse.

"shhhh tikki, be careful someone could have been walking by" Marinette whispered to her little sprite friend.

"I can sense when others are around you know, I just wanted to tell you that I think it's great you're taking your parents advice here. Even if I had to repeat their advice to you morning, noon and night to convince you it was worth your while."

"You're a good friend, thank you for not giving up. But honestly I don't think a therapist is going to do much good. Honestly, it's not like I can tell them who I really am and what the real problem is.

"Hmm you raise a good point. But maybe if you see someone for everything else, that could at least be a start, and if you deal with other things, then maybe that one incident won't weigh so heavily. You could even just try to readjust the events to something that you can explain and get it out that way?"

Marinette gave a sad laugh "So what you're saying is, go to therapy where I'm supposed to put the truth out there and confess my sins to work through my issues…and lie so I can still hide my identity in the shadows. Go there to work through everything, except the ONE thing that would probably resolve all of this."

"I'm only suggesting you try therapy. To see if it can help. Take it one crisis at a time. Plus if you don't, then the doctor won't fill your prescription in three months and you'll be back at square one."

Tikki had made good points, she was always very insightful and patient with her. Today, she would pick up her new prescription and the vitamin D. Tomorrow she would scout the yellow pages for a CBT therapist. After that, who knows.


	2. Lunch

Later that afternoon Alya called to see if Marinette wanted to grab lunch together. Between Alya always on the run trying to catch the next great story and Marinette's full time and part time jobs, they really didn't spend a lot of time just hanging out. Like passing ships in the night, just because they lived together didn't mean they spent a lot of time together.

Marinette smiled on the phone. Having just been able to dump a large burden she was feeling light and refreshed and excited at the prospect of getting to see her best friend.

"Sure Alya that sounds great! What did you have in mind?"

"I just heard this new place opened up that serves Mongolian BBQ. It sounds interesting and it's not that far from the apartment. You up for it?"

' _What in the world…Mongolian BBQ?'_ Having never heard of it before it wasn't exactly where she wanted to go. But Alya loved 'different' and 'new'. It was one of the reasons they were such good friends. Alya always encouraged Marinette to try something out of her comfort zone. Most often than not, it would turn out to be something she really enjoyed. But unfamiliar food on a picky stomach could lead to the dreaded Hershey squirts later on... This was tough. Risk having to grab a game boy and worship the porcelain god all night? Or try a new cuisine that could introduce her to her next favorite dish.

"Alright, send me the name and address and I'll meet you over there in 30 minutes."

"Will do, love ya, bye!"

30 minutes later Marinette found the location of the restaurant and took in its exterior features. It was nestled in an upscale strip mall that was only 20 minutes from the apartment. The front had large glass windows and the bottom half was red brick. Above that it was a smooth sand stone texture that was overshadowed by a maroon awning. Off to the right had an intricate black gated dining area for those who enjoyed combating flies with their food. The twinkle lights were woven around every pole, and Marinette could only imagine how romantic the lighting would be at night.

"Hey girl over here!" Alya was someone who routinely didn't mind fighting the flies for her food. She enjoyed being outdoors any chance she got, so patio seating it was.

"Hey Alya, it's so good to see you, it's been awhile since we've been able to hold a full conversation. How was Europe? Were you able to cover the relief efforts for that earth quake that hit over in Rome?"

"Yea, everyone is really pulling together to put things right. The articles that many reporters and news casters displayed across the globe have been generating funds from everywhere and it's a huge help. You know they say that Rome can't be built in a day, but with the way that earthquake shook everything up, it's beginning to look like it can be destroyed in one. I hope when all is said and done and all the repairs are made; that they can keep history preserved and intact. It really sets things in perspective when you see so many who have lost their homes and loved ones. When I wasn't reporting I was doing whatever I could to help those in need."

"Wow that sounds intense. It's awesome you were able to spread the news about such a serious situation and gain support for their cause. That and you were able to jump in and do work to help them while you were there. I've always admired your giant heart. "

"Speaking of hearts... "

Just then the waiter came and took their drink orders. He had asked if they were familiar with Mongolian BBQ and when informed they were not, he proceeded with the specials and gave them instruction on how to put together their plates. The first station was for vegetables and lentils, the second station was for protein, and the third station was the sauce station. It looked like a raw buffet because nothing was cooked, you just picked out what you wanted in your dish and then got in line to have it all thrown together. Luckily the choices were extensive and so there was something for even the pickiest eater. The sauce bar was a bit daunting. You could get creative and mix your own, or choose one of the premixed options.

After you waited in line and it was your turn, they took your tray of options and dumped it on a giant circular grill that really looked like a drum. There are 3 chefs standing around the giant grill and as the food cooks they use long giant spatulas to toss the food around for even cooking, and every once in a awhile they would rotate their position around the drum. Definitely and interesting customer experience, but unfortunately this disruption was not enough to deter Alya from her train of thought.

"Word on the street has it that Adrien is back in town as well. Nino invited him over for some games and drinking last night. Turns out the girl he was seeing wasn't for him. He's going to be staying with Nino for a bit until he decides where he wants to move to next. So you know what that meannnnnns….time for you to make your move.

' _For. The. Love. Of. God. Will she never give up? Oh look...that pit that had finally gone away is now settled rock hard in my stomach. Great.'_

"Alya I swear…" Heart racing, palms starting to sweat. Honestly Marinette was so sick of this same conversation. It's been 4 years and neither side has made a move to the other. Only Alya at this point is still holding out hope. But the anxiety of unrequited love that Marinette tells herself she doesn't have still raises her blood pressure. She didn't know if it was Adrien's relationship with Chloe or Lila that spoke volumes as to why she knew he would never look her way. Being honest with herself, him dating those two people made her lose interest in him. She found it hard to believe that someone who had shown such kindness and compassion for others, would want to be with two of the most despicable women she knew. To each their own, but if it was girls like them he wanted, she knew she could never compare; and for that she was grateful.

"Considering Adrien's dating track record that I'm aware of, what in the world makes you think he would even see me in his peripheral vision? I mean Chloe and Lila? If those are where his standards are, I don't stand a chance and I'm perfectly content with just being friends." _I am such a liar. I am not content just being friends, but there's no way he could accept me. When it comes to money and connections and the finer things in life, I just can't compete amongst the elite. Why are these thoughts even in my head, I'm no longer interested. Yeah that's right Mari, just keep repeating that over and over, eventually it'll be true._

"Shut up Mari, I have something to tell you and you are going to love this! The whole Lila thing was for publicity. Adrien was paid to show up to events with her in order to further her status along and get her recognition. Some might say it was all an illusion."

"Oh Wow! That's a bit extreme, why in the world would Adrien agree to something like that?"

"Apparently his father saw an opportunity to show case his new line and threatened to cut Adrien off if he didn't help promote the family brand. According to Nino, Adrien was ready to walk and strike out on his own, but during the argument about the whole thing his father hung the guilt of his mother over his head. Saying how disappointed she would be to see him disrespecting his father. So of course Adrien caved." Alya just rolled her eyes and started eating her dinner.

"You know, I really do dislike his father as a person sometimes. Yet I can't help but love his work. It truly is a strange thing to have such strong conflicting emotions about the same person. That doesn't change the fact though that he also dated Chloe of all people. I don't necessarily care who he dates, but it just shows what type he's into and it's not me."

"Girl what are you talking about. You are every bit as good as Chloe, and in my overly biased opinion, you far exceed her in everything. You're a beautiful, smart independent woman with loads of talent and enough energy you could fuel a power plant. Maybe Adrien saw something in Chloe we don't, maybe he had a moment of weakness or was lonely. Either way, there is a reason their relationship ended. You know as well as I do, she wouldn't withdrawal her claws from him even if she were miserable in the relationship. That means he broke it off and probably because he wasn't happy with what he chose. So you are still in the running of Paris's Next Top Models girlfriend!"

"That's very sweet of you Alya, but truly, I'm good. I work too much to even have time to pursue anyone. I think I will leave the past in the past and just keep moving forward. Taking one step at a time."

The conversation lightened up after that. Alya talking about her relationship with Nino, how she is going to be more local for a while and won't be doing much reporting overseas while she tries to land a permanent reporting gig in France. Hoping for a job right in Paris, but getting her foot in the door wherever she could. The lady blog was still her top priority, but there hadn't been any Akuma's in the last year, so it turned more into a site for people to post recent lady bug sightings. Marinette still had to do patrols even if it did appear the akumas were over. She knew it wouldn't last; they never found Hawkmoth in the rubble a year ago. Until she had him in custody or had a body, she wouldn't believe for a second that he wasn't still out there and waiting for the right time. The other concern was Chat, who had gone missing after that night. So much had happened, so much she couldn't talk about and make real by saying it out loud.

She kept the thoughts to herself and a smile on her face. She finished her meal and they walked back to their apartment together. When they got home Alya had some revision to complete from a recent article she was working on and that gave Marinette time to escape to her room.

After she was safely tucked inside she took a deep breath and tried to pretend she was exhaling all the dark memories from her mind. It didn't work, but she did feel a little better. She had a few hours to kill before she needed to go out on patrol so she put on some jagged stone and did what always did help, sketch.


	3. Stalked

AN: BECAUSE I CANT EVEN. I wanted to find the right spelling of 'descent' when describing ladybug coming down from a high roof. In my google adventure (yes I was being lazy) friggin Urban Dictionary had the best results. Go. Right Now. Google decent, and look at what Urban Dictionary brings up. You're welcome. Additionally I'm proud to release this chapter on time. I went to work on it last Saturday and my computer suffered a hard drive failure. Luckily I keep all work saved to the cloud so I didn't have to start over. Also I am in the midst of a very big job interview process so I'm mentally exhausted preparing for that. Good news though, chapter 4 is practically done. So if I continue to get good reviews after this chapter release, I may release the 4th early and jump to working on the 5th.

Shout out to Sahararose114: Thank you for your reviews. They have been very encouraging and motivational! It's the reviews that let me know you want to see more that makes me keep writing!

Night snuck up on Marinette as she lost herself inside her sketchbook. She was eyeballs deep into the complex details of a red form fitting dress, it had a wide almost off shoulder boat neck and stopped just at the mid-calf. The dress would be paired with a thin black belt and gold buckle to add dimension. The image was beautiful on paper and Marinette could almost see it walking gracefully off the page worn by one of Paris's many envied models. She was so enamored with her work she didn't take notice on how late it had become. She was already planning out fabric swatches, rough estimates on expenses and measurements when Tikki had to snap her back to reality.

"Marinette I think we had better get a move on." She flew over to grab Marinette's attention and hoped to get a cookie out of the deal.

Startled by the sudden high pitched voice Marinette jumped and wind milled when her chair almost teetered backwards. "Gahhh! Tikki you scared the life out of me. You know I get laser focused when I sketch, next time knock on a wall or something." Getting over her initial fright Marinette couldn't help but laugh as she realized how ridiculously easy she scares.

"Sorry about that Tikki, I didn't mean to snap at you like that." Handing her friend the cookie and waiting patiently for her to finish eating so she could feel refreshed and ready to go, Marinette rubbed the her sore eyes that had been held open too long and with such intent they felt a bit blood shot.

"You're forgiven, but only because your family owns a bakery. I'll never get over how great these cookies are. I'm ready whenever you are." Tikki replied with a giggle.

With the go ahead from Tikki, Marinette exited the apartment and turned down a dark alley way to call for her transformation. The rush of the adrenaline and power coursed in her veins and danced on her skin. The feeling so intense and freeing that she can almost forget, that even with all this power, she wasn't able to stop what had happened. But tonight wasn't about looking back and regretting her weakness. She had resolved to forgive herself one way or another. She was going to get past it and re-commit herself to the protection of all those who remained under her care. Even though she was alone, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice, this time she would succeed. Even if the cost were her very own life. She would not fail again.

Inhaling a deep breath and relishing the feeling of the cool night air, Marinette pointedly dismissed that same seeping feeling of guilt. Glancing up she wrapped her yo-yo around a chimney and started her circuit around the city. She would stop every so often and take in the sights, checking for akumas, and for any petty crimes she could help with. The police were always grateful for her assistance, they were understaffed as it was, so her help was welcomed.

Night patrol went off without a hitch, which has been the norm. It was nice in a way, having this time to reflect and be normal and enjoy the city in a way that was so unique to only her. Sitting atop the Eiffel tower Marinette mused about her dreams. Sure the tailor shop was a great start, but she knew one day she would get her big break. She would slowly but surely put together her best work ever and present it in one portfolio. Being so hyper critical of her work as she was, this would take a lot of work. She had received praise when she was a teenager from Mr. Agreste himself for her Derby hat entry, and Adrien loved that scarf – even though he didn't know she made it. But other than that, mock ups and drawings were only shown to Alya and her parents. While she didn't consider them liars, she also didn't want to trust that the people who loved her so much were giving biased opinions. Much like a bride looking for the right wedding dress; Marinette knew that eventually she would design something that even her critical eye couldn't ignore. Then that piece would be what's added to the portfolio. She needs at least 5 complete ensembles to present, and each one has to absolutely represent her style and vision. With so few to display, she could not risk just putting anything out there. That is why she's been working at it seriously the last 3 years. The early stages of her sketching was about learning. Drawing came naturally and over time became honed and polished. The hard part was following fashion trends and figuring out your niche. Sewing was quite the adventure, starting off she bled on every piece of cloth she practiced on. Now it was something that she could do while only half paying attention.

Having been out for a few hours, and knowing that work would be coming early, it was time to head back. Throwing her yo-yo to a lower chimney and starting her descent she headed on her way home. Half way through swinging home, ladybug couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She stopped on the rooftop and scanned the area. Not a soul in sight. Still though, something was off. Deciding that heading straight back home would be a bad idea; Ladybug opted to zig zag over the city attempting to shake the feeling of being watched. For the longest time the feeling stayed with her. Hair on the back of her neck raised, heart beating fast and panting from running around non-stop; she formulated a plan. Ducking down a side street and immediately going into an alley that let out to another street and would let her come back around full circle, she attempted to try and get behind whoever was trying to follow. But as she came around, no one was there. The thoughts started to appear in her mind that she was just tired from not being able to rest properly for so long. She decided that there was nothing else she could do if she couldn't confirm someone was there. Still….she went to the tailor shop instead of going home and dropped her transformation there. Ladybug felt safer doing that then potentially leading a criminal to her home and risk Alya and exposing her own identity.

When the nerves died down and she no longer felt stalked, Marinette slipped out the back and walked the short distance to her apartment. Grateful that there were back alleys she could use and hide in the darkness if the need were to arise.

Out in the shadows sat a black Chat, too afraid of ladybugs reaction to his sudden reappearance and yet unable to stop himself from attempting to reach out to her. Every time he was about to call her name, she would change direction, scan the area and take off in another direction. He spent most the time trying to keep pace with her. But when he saw her duck down the side street it suddenly dawned on him that she was nervous. She felt a threat and was trying to evade the pursuer or trap them. Deciding to back off, Chat stayed in the dark and let his lady slip off into the night. He would find her another day. Maybe in the meantime he could figure out what to say to explain his absence. He knew this might be difficult, he had just landed in the United States when he checked the lady blog out of force of habit and saw that Ladybug had a ruthless akuma on her hands. Even if he could jump on the first flight back to Paris, he knew there was no way he would make it back in time. With the words of his father ringing clear in his head, he had to make the second hardest decision that night. He had to trust that ladybug could handle it. After all, she had all the luck on her side.


	4. I am not a taco

The following morning Adrien lie awake on Nino's couch. He hadn't quite committed to the idea of turning Nino's 'den' into a bedroom for himself. On one hand he had lived in a giant home with his father and yet always felt alone. So the possibility of having a friendly face to talk to everyday was inviting and a great selling point. On the other hand, it would be a bit of a hassle to hide Plagg constantly while also needing to run out for superhero work. At the moment the couch would be all that he needed while he sorted out his living preferences. 

Coming back to his hometown was definitely bittersweet. He had spent an entire year in America parading his father's clothes line while simultaneously flaunting a fake relationship to the paparazzi. The decision to come back was not discussed with Lila or his father and for that, he knew there would be repercussions. He just couldn't seem to care anymore. The only good thing that had come out of leaving Paris for the year, was that he had lived on his own out there. He had his own bank account and he's saved every cent he could from all the work he put out. Not to mention all of his money that was squirreled away in a trust fund was now accessible to him and he had the bright idea to have it transferred to a new bank that didn't have his father's name on it. At this point, even if his father did cut him off, Adrien was financially set for life if he was careful. That's not to say he wouldn't work, but this kind of financial stability finally allowed him to pursue his own dreams and ambitions. No longer would he allow fear and shame motivate him to bend to his father's demands. Gabriel could shout his short comings to every fashion designer in the industry for all Adrien cared, while he knew a bunch of designers and photographers, and considered some to be great people who he truly respected... He wasn't worried if anyone believed his father as that wasn't the industry Adrien saw himself staying in.  
Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes Adrien couldn't help the autonomy that he felt. The simplicity of just enjoying the feel of a couch that belonged to a friend. Someone who looked out for him, cared for him, listened to him and was loyal to his truest best interest. Raking a hand through his golden hair and letting out a contented sigh he could only wish ladybug would glance his way as well. Sure she was loyal and cared about him, but with her he wanted love. The unconditional, forever, your-heart-beats-a-mile-a-minute love. He has so much passion and devotion pent up in his heart and he wants to give it all to her. But all she sees is Chat. She doesn't see beyond the fun loving performance. Sure Chat likes to be punny and teasing, but ladybug seems to think the sincere romantic moments are just Chat messing around. She doesn't take Chat seriously, and for as much as he loves her, that part infuriates him to no end. In the beginning it wasn't so bad, a battle of wills really. Chat would dance and prance around making jokes and puns just to rile her up. Throwing out the odd confession of love and devotion, and she would snub his actions and disregard his commentary. Hoping that through time she would eventually see the consistency in his actions, she would see that he's never mentioned another lady, and then she would come to realize that it was only ever her. It would only ever be her. But 4 years later, several attempts at setting up romantic dates just for her to never show, Adrien grew frustrated.  
"Oh well, first things first, I have to face her and set things right." Adrien mused out loud to himself. Pausing that thought for a moment as he heard Nino starting to shuffle about in his room and figured he had spent too much time lounging about. Sitting up with the intention of heading off to grab a shower his actions were halted by a hungry kwami.  
"Kid look if you're going to make me resort to sleeping in your travel bag until you find a suitable place to live, you are going to have to start seriously upping your camembert contribution. Speaking of, you've been back in town 3 days now and I have yet to see a wedge. You may now enjoy cleaning my urine out of your shoe. Think on this should you be considering a further delay in my cheese delivery."  
"PLAGG are you serious?!" Reaching down and grabbing his shoes to inspect their condition he can't seem to find anything wet.  
"Consider this a warning! You don't know when, you won't know where, but if I don't get camembert soon, it will happen."  
Rolling his eyes at Plagg's dramatics Adrien wasn't sure how serious the threat was. But supposed that kwamis can't live by Kraft singles alone. There were a number of odds and ends he needed to get from the store that day anyway, he would simply add that to the list.  
Hearing Nino wander out to the kitchen that overlooked the living room, the black cat zoomed off for a much more comfortable hiding spot.  
Nino looked so odd not having his normal glasses on that he usually wears, just looking through the fridge only wearing black boxers and a white undershirt.  
"Bro we seriously need to go grocery shopping soon. We don't have anything other than left over Italian from yesterday for breakfast." Closing the door Nino yawned and backed away from the fridge. Raising his arms over his head and behind to scratch his back. While stretching he made the internal decision to see if Alya wanted to meet for a breakfast date. With that idea in mind he made his way back to his room to call her, leaving Adrien to go about his morning routine to get ready for the day.  
Once Adrien had finished his shower and took care of his normal hygiene, Nino got off the phone with Alya. They would meet up at Marinette's family bakery for a morning reunion of sorts since Alya hadn't seen Adrien since he came back in town. Of course Nino knew by default that Alya was going to bring Marinette. The thought was nostalgic back to their old college days and sharing a lunch table, it had been much too long.  
"Hey Adrien, you up for going to the Dupain-Cheng's bakery for breakfast? We would be meeting up with Alya and Marinette."  
Adrien considered it for a second, his mouth watering at the sheer memory of the chocolate croissants that he used to smuggle back to his childhood room. "That sounds like a great idea, let me grab my shoes and I'll be ready to go." One more reaching for his shoes, he did so now with slight trepidation hoping that Plagg hadn't yet made good on his warning. To his relief they were still dry. 

The bakery was a short drive from Nino's apartment and the parking lot was full of customer regulars who knew to get there early to get the fresh baked goods and decent parking spots. Walking in your presence is announced by the chime of the bell hung right above the door. Immediately you can see the shelves of different breads, sour dough, baguette, brioche, bagels. Piles of them stacked neatly on display shelves. The desert cases so meticulously filled with various cakes, cookies, croissants and other assorted deserts. The very sight of the forbidden treasures making his stomach grumble in anticipation. The walls were a pale pink that contrasted wonderfully with the intricate navy/white/orange designs of the floor tiles. The seating area only had a couple of tables and chairs tucked to the right side of the room once you walked in the door. Luckily for them the girls had arrived early enough that they were able to snag a table to seat the four of them comfortably.

Spotting the girls right away Adrien hadn't realized how much he had missed them both. The group quickly got into line scouting the different cases trying to make decisions on what they wanted. Nino and Alya decided on café au lait and a bagel with veggie crème cheese to split. Adrian opted for the vanilla latte with a chocolate croissant. Marinette just couldn't decide. "Papa where are the Chouquette's?"

"Hun, we sold out of those a few minutes ago."

"Awww I was really looking forward to them." Marinette whined

"Sorry, I can't please everyone, I'm not a Taco." Her father winked and let out a booming laugh at his little joke.

Rolling her eyes and sighing inwardly she recognized her own fault for not calling ahead and asking her parents to set some aside for her. She knew the little bites routinely sold out. Settling instead for a peppermint mocha and palmier she joined her friends who had all already sat down and started eating.

Adrien looked up from his food and took in the changes he saw with the girls. Ayla's sense of personal style had changed a bit. Instead of wearing the traditional jeans and button down plaid shirt he had last remembered her wearing, she was now going with forest green cargo pocketed shorts and a fashionable orange tank top that had an intricate lace pattern on the back and a flowy crisscross pattern on the front. The way the outfit accentuated her body's features he could tell that her figure had gone through a number of changes as well. He supposed it was better if he didn't think too much about those changes as that was Nino's girlfriend and it wouldn't be considerate. Marinette however had encountered those same changes as well it would seem. She had always been a sweet and compassionate girl, but because of her quiet demeanor and struggle to form coherent sentences around him, he never really looked beyond a friendship and didn't look twice at her appearance. Yeah sure she was cute and at times even adorable, but nothing stuck out quite like it did this morning.

There sat Marinette who had never worn her hair down around him before, and it was stunning. The flow of her blue black hair hung artfully down her back and framed her face prettily, complementary to the starkness of her skin and hair were her eyes. Blue bell oceans that seemed to want to pull you into their undertow and full pink lips with just a hint of lip gloss. He took in her outfit, she chose a white halter sundress with cherry stem patterns all over and a pair of red wedge ankle wrap sandals. The look was classic, and emphasized all the right curves. 

"Hey Adrien, you alright? Is there something on my face?" Marinette had caught his stare and was unnerved as to why he was looking at her like that.

Unsure how long he had sat there and just inwardly gazed at her, he felt his nerves go on edge for being awkward. Sitting up straighter in the chair across from her, he realized she was still awaiting a response.

"Yea I'm fine, just zoned out a bit there. Jet lag ya know..?" he let a slight chuckle to shake of the rigidity he felt.

"I can only imagine, it must take some time to get used to the time difference. How was America anyway?" An unreasonable amount of relief washed over her when she realized he wasn't staring at her out of something silly she had done. I mean honestly, he was a good friend, why should she feel relief over simply the possibility of not having a coffee mustache?

"It was quite the experience. The country itself was a cultural shock and getting used to the time zone change took some adjustments. But I walked away with having made some industry connections and a handful of open invitations to return and do more modeling for people who were really impressed with what I delivered while there."

Considering what she already knew and sensing this wasn't a subject he wanted to delve into she quickly changed the subject.

"Sounds like quite the adventure. It's good to see you again, how long will you be staying in town?"

"At this point it's hard to say. I've come back to the only real home I've known so that I can regroup and refocus on what I want to do in life. I find that my future is wide open and with many more opportunities I didn't have before."

"Well just like with anything else you do, whatever you get involved in, you'll do with excellence."

"Thanks I tend to put my all in anything I care about. What's new with you?" It would seem Marinette was full of surprises, from her appearance to her ability to have a totally normal conversation without tripping over her own tongue

The foursome carried on over the next hour. Sipping coffee, reminiscing about the fun times and catching each other up on what they've accomplished over the year. All was going well until Alya wanted to uncover the details of the Lila scandal.

Turning her inquisitive brown eyes and locking them with unassuming green ones – Adrien got the sinking feeling he was about to get the interrogation of a lifetime. "So Agreste, how goes your relationship with Lila?"

Heat rose to his cheeks and he became suddenly agitated. Placing his arms around the coffee that sat in front of him on the table and interlocking his fingers, he leans forward with his eyes burning back into hers. "I assume that Nino has expressed to you that that relationship has ended, and that he has told you all I am comfortable with you knowing. I'm a pretty private person Alya and I'm not comfortable discussing the details that surrounded why the relationship ended. Just know that it ended, and trust that not everything you might hear is the truth." Leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee, he let his words sink in. Hoping that it would be enough to keep her off the subject for good.

At first she was offended by his abrupt and serious response to what was supposed to be a fun question. She had hoped she could put Marinette at further ease about what Adrien really wants in a woman. No matter though, she would simply have to change tact and respect that his former 'relationship' was a private matter not up for conversation.

Changing gears she put up her hands in a placating gesture. "I'm sorry things didn't work out for you guys. Do you have an interest in anyone else at the moment?"

He couldn't help but to laugh at that. "Alya, I've only been back a few days, I definitely have not rebounded that quick and with how much I need to figure out right now, I doubt I will be looking anytime soon." While this was the truth he couldn't help but think to himself..' _unless ladybug is still single and swinging around town'._

Interjecting herself into the conversation to spare poor Adrien anymore love questions from the persistent reporter, Marinette informs the group that she needed to head out for work.

Waving goodbye to her friends she set out into the welcoming sunshine and ready to embrace the day. She had an extra spring in her step as she was especially proud that she had made it through the whole breakfast without one foul up. Despite her constant denial of residual feelings towards the model, it did nothing to stop the erratic fast paced beating of her heart. But she would be damned if he saw those nerves resurface from her again. Nope, he mind was set, he was her past and she was only focused on her future. Eventually her heart would catch on to what he mind was telling it.


	5. Dinner Party

Work had been exhausting. Marinette climbed the stairs that would lead her to her little sanctuary in the world. The tailor shop had been overrun by rushed alterations due to The Versailles masquerade Ball happening in just a few short weeks. Inwardly groaning as she reminded herself that it was only going to get busier as it got closer to the event – she jammed the key in her apartment door knob and swung it open only to be stopped by Alya pacing back and forth on the phone. Judging by the one side of the conversation she could her it sounded like a phone interview.

Wanting to know what the conversation was about Marinette took respite onto the couch and closed her eyes enjoying the moment of doing absolutely nothing. Losing track of the time while she waited for Alya to finish, she opened her eyes at the snap of the phone closing.

"Mari you won't believe it!"

"Believe what?"

Alya was beside herself beaming with excitability. "I just got off the phone with Le Télégramme! They received my resume a few days ago and this was the HR screening. They want to setup an in person Interview with the hiring manager in a couple of days!"

"Oh wow that's awesome! You are going to ace this!"

"Ugh I'm so nervous. I want this so bad! This would be the next big step in my career!"

Though the energy in the apartment was bright and joyous, Marinette felt a twinge of sadness...

"Hey Alya…isn't that newspaper out in Morlaix? That's over a 3 hour drive from here. _**When**_ you get it, what will we do with this place? I can't afford it on my own." Suddenly she was nervous, as happy as she was for her best friend, they still had 5 months on the lease. Feeling guilty for even bringing up the complication Marinette attempted to back track and told her not to worry about it, they would figure it out when the time comes.

Alya had actually formulated a plan when she started looking for jobs outside of Paris. She knew there was a certain ex model who was looking for a place of his own and it couldn't be better timing. For now though until she was certain about the job, she would reserve those ideas for later.

Both shrugging off the question and getting back to uncontrolled giddiness they decided that an opportunity this amazing deserved to be celebrated girl's night style! Quickly donning their pajamas and gathering pillows for the couch; they ordered in from their favorite bistro a few blocks away. Hanging up from the call Alya hopped on the couch and picked out their go to movie ' _A Cat in Paris'_ (real movie). Well after they had finished eating and moved onto their second movie, Marinette had passed out. She awoke to Alya whispering on the phone.

Alya noticed Marinette raising her head and quickly ended her phone call.

"Hey sleepy head, you didn't last 5 minutes watching that movie, you left me to celebrate the rest of the night by myself."

"Ah sorry, it was so busy at work today I didn't realize just how tired I was. I think I'm going to head to bed, I still feel pretty beat and I know tomorrow will be just as busy."

An evil smirk played upon Alya's face, but Marinette was too tired to take notice. "Don't worry about it Mari, go on to bed, I'll just have to come up with a way for you to repay me." Marinette may have not seen the smirk, but she knew that tone. Alya was plotting something. Taking a moment to pause in the hallway Marinette turned around to face her. "Alya, who was that on the phone you were speaking to?"

"Oh just Nino." Now trying and failing to hide her smirk, she rushes to dismiss herself to bed before Marinette could turn into a reporter herself and interrogate her. Exhaling a long sigh Marinette just knew she was in for something. The last time Alya schemed it was because Marinette stood her up for a coffee date before they moved in together. How could Alya have known that Ladybug had been up all night patrolling and when she attempted to go to sleep that same night the visions of what happened in her last akuma battle haunted her. Her anguish and insecurities plagued her. The disappearance of Chat crushing her chest and leaving a physical pain in his absence. By the time she had fallen asleep morning had just dawned and she had slept right though her alarm. The price she had to pay to Alya was to go out with her that weekend to a karaoke bar. Marinette had felt nervous, but after a few drinks she loosened up and put on a beautiful performance. That is until they tried to sing a duet and kept mixing up the words and their parts. All in all they had a fabulous time and it was a great experience to step out of her shell. So maybe whatever she had in mind wouldn't be so bad. But something about the gleam in her eye made her think she was prepared to up the ante. With nothing else she could do than to wait and see what she came up with, Marinette wandered to her room and face planted on to her bed; skipping patrol just this one night.

 **Adrien's POV –** **next day**

Rising early before Nino could appear from his room, Adrien went through the morning ritual and got ready to set his plans in motion. Today he would hunt for his own place, grocery shop, check in with his father and have that unavoidable conversation that he was sure would not end well. Ignoring the small stab of worry regarding that last check list item Adrien checked his shoes for moisture and once again was relieved that Plagg had yet to make good on his warning. The little black kwami had been nagging him relentlessly about procuring his beloved cheese and Adrien made it top priority to get it now.

Speaking of the destructive threatening devil…where the heck did he go? Looking through his travel bag all Adrien found were his toiletries, a few changes of clothes, his wallet and a charging cable for his phone. Double checking the couch and the pillow he used at night Adrien still couldn't seem to locate him. Seeing as Nino wasn't awake yet Adrien felt it was safe enough to call out to him.

"Plagg…" He kept his tone soft and as low as possible, just in case Nino was awake and just lying in bed playing on his phone... No response.

"Plagg, come here..." Still no response

"Alright then Plagg, I guess I don't need to buy camembert before I start looking at apartments.

Just then a little black bullet comes zooming into view.

"You had better not be joking! I have been more than patient, I even held off peeing on your shoes although you deserved it! So it's about time you reunite me with my beloved"

"Shhhhh. Where the heck were you?"

Plagg just grinned and looked at Adrien "I may not have peed on your shoes, but I did puke on your loofa."

"Jokes on you little buddy I already showered today, and loofa's are cheap, I'll just add it to my shopping list today".

Shrugging his arms Plagg didn't mind that his revenge was squandered. "Just let that be a reminder, that next time you may not get so lucky and I will have my revenge should you ever hold out so long again.

Letting out a half sigh half chuckle Adrien just shook his head to end that conversation. Plagg zoomed into is interior pocket of his blazer and they set out to begin the day.

After an unsuccessful apartment hunt that morning Adrien returned back to Nino's place. It wasn't that he didn't find any that he liked. He just would walk in to tour the place and the vast emptiness of it reminded him of home. How alone that was. He wasn't looking for anything extravagant, he wanted a place that felt warm, inviting, and made him feel like he belonged there. Perhaps that was a lot to put on a place. He had considered after moving in he could simply decorate it to meet those needs. He knew however that his sense of interior design left a lot to be desired. He imagined it wouldn't have the genuine feel anyway, like sending yourself roses on Valentine's Day. It means nothing to shake off the loneliness if you do it yourself. He knew he had friends and he was loved. But for so long it had just been him and his father. Adrien craved the company and attention of those he knew cared. Not that he wanted to be the center of attention. Adrien was quite content to simply be in their presence and enjoy the banter around him.

Sitting on the sofa and contemplating the next ' _to do'_ on his list, he figured it would be smarter to call Nathalie to schedule a meeting with his father then to just show up. _'_ _How pathetic. I have to schedule a meeting with my own father. How is it he never realized how bad our relationship got, that this is the only way I know he will at least be present and have time to hear me. Not that it means he'll listen."_

Pressing the speed dial number he had for her, he held the phone to his ear. A small click and he was greeted by the assistant.

"Hello Adrien, did you need something?"

"Hi Nathalie, I've returned to Paris and I need to setup a meeting with father to work a few things out. Can you find an opening on his schedule today?"

"Actually your father has been abroad these last few months and isn't set to be back until early next week. He has been holding video conferences when it comes to work though, would you prefer a video conference or just wait until he gets back?"

In person or via webcam didn't make a difference in reality. Adrien still expected the same cold monotone and condescending treatment. Yet the idea of a web call just seemed to add to the distance between them and he wanted to prevent them from drifting even further apart.

"Next week is fine, please email me with the meeting details when you confirm them with father, my availability is wide open, so whatever he decides is alright with me."

"Will do, what can I tell him this matter is in regards to?"

"Tell him it's to set my expectations moving forward, we must agree on the terms if he wants me to remain with his brand."

A brief pause of silence. Adrien can only imagine Nathalie's stoic features unmoving to present the shock she felt. Adrien had never been so bold to make or even insinuate demands.

"Excellent, thank you for the information. Was there anything else you needed?"

"No that'll be all"

"Will you be returning to the manor to stay in your room while you're back? I can have the cleaning ladies prepare your room and get out the stale air."

"That's alright, I won't be staying there. I may pop in to retrieve things as needed, but I won't be living there."

"Understood sir..." another moment's pause and her tone was soft when she spoke this time "Any time you want to come home, you just call me and I can have everything arranged. You will always have a place ready here."

A small smile pulled at the corner of Adrien's lips. Nathalie had been a pseudo nanny since the disappearance of his mother. She had a unique love towards him with how she took care of him. He may have rarely gotten what he wanted, but she made sure to get him where he needed to be, kept his appointments, tutored him, called him for meals and always accompanied him on his ventures out to different lessons. Emotion was a rare thing to see from her. Usually the only time she tried to reassure him would be after an extremely demoralizing lecture from his father. She could see how hard he was on Adrien and wished Gabriel would recognize Adrien as the 15 yr. old he had been.

"Thank you Nathalie, I'll see you and father soon. Good bye".

Stretching out all his limbs and taking a big yawn Adrian didn't realize how tense he had been. Shaking it off he sent a text off to Nino to see if he needed anything from the store. Awaiting the response he grabbed a loose leaf of paper and started formulating a meal plan for the week. Being a model had its perks, it made you really organized when it came to grocery shopping, and having the meals planned in advanced made it easy to make sure you didn't have to order out too often, run out of something you need, or just buy whatever you saw on impulse in the aisle.

Adding Ninos items to his list Adrien set off for the store. This was a chore he liked to do, it was simple and domestic. Prior to his move to America Adrien had only ever just shown up for meals. He could have hired a chef when he went overseas, but the idea of being self-sufficient called to him, he reasoned at some point it would be or at least should be his own responsibility to feed himself. Recalling his futile attempts at cooking in the beginning he just laughed at how ridiculous he must have looked. Lila had always insisted on going out for dinner. She relied on constantly going to different restaurants as her source of sustenance. That and she was more visible to paparazzi He had agreed to dinner three nights a week, lunch and breakfast twice a week. He offered to cook for her during their in-between days but she turned her nose up at the offer. Truthfully, given the incident after eating his undercooked pork chop, she probably saved her own life. Thank God for Pinterest, through recipes, tenacity and a profound understanding of physics – not to mention a meat thermometer - Adrien felt that no recipe could elude him now. As long as there were instructions, he was your guy to get the job done.

Following his grocery escapades he returned back to the apartment and promptly put the items away. Having recently seen his friends just yesterday the idea popped in his head to invite them over for dinner and a few games. He could cook for them and give them a _taste_ of all that he had learned. With that thought in mind he checked his meal schedule and found that this evening's dinner selection was ziti. Ziti is perfect for a Friday night, you always have left overs. Considering a typical Saturday night usually winds up out at a restaurant, you could eat the left overs on Sunday thus meaning you didn't have to cook again until Monday. Not to mention should a night of drinking get out of hand, pasta was a great dish to help sober up.

Adrien pulled his phone from his back pocket and texted Nino to invite the girls over for dinner. Message sent with a time set for 6pm, Adrien checked the clock on the stove – 4:30. Just enough time to prepare everything.

Pulling out the ricotta and measuring out 3 cups he tossed it into a medium mixing bowl. 4 table spoons powder sugar and a light dusting of lemon zest, he mixed the components together and placed the mixture into the fridge. Now pulling out a large sauce pan he started to heat the pan on medium with just a dash of olive oil. Expertly chopping up a Vidalia onion he threw that into the pan, quickly followed by 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Allowing that to simmer a bit – he went in search of a pot large enough to boil an entire box of ziti. Finding what he needed, he filled it up with plenty of water – salted it and put it on high to get a quick boil. Returning to the sauce pan he then added the crushed tomatoes, Italian dressing, and freshly chopped basil. Yet again stirring everything together and returning to simmer. Looking back to the pot of water it hadn't quite come up to boiling point yet. Taking the moment while he waited he checked his phone to see if he got a return message from Nino – nothing yet. Shrugging his shoulders he did a walkthrough of the apartment tidying it up for company.

With the apartment cleaned up Adrien checked on the water again. Finally. Adding in the pasta and giving it a good stir, he placed a lid on top and went in search of what games Nino had.

Not surprised all he found were a few video games, Adrien checked the clock to see what time it was now – 5:15. Just enough time to run down to the convenience store and grab a deck of cards. Adrien knew Alya wasn't a big fan of video games, probably because Marinette gets extremely competitive and then gloats when she eviscerates someone. Adrien grinned at the recollection of being on the receiving end of one of Marinette's gloating rampages. She was so engrossed with the win she didn't realize who she was talking to. When she came down from the euphoria of victory and took in the shocked face of her opponent, she went red from her neck to the tips of her ears. After that she could hardly respond to his call for a rematch and failed miserably to win another match the whole night.

Giving the pasta a stir and checking its consistency he found it was perfectly aldente. Reaching for the colander he then strained the contents into the sink and returned them back into the large pot. Covering the pot with the lid, he turned off the stove and ran his errand for the cards.

Upon his return from the quick stop he checked the time again – 5:30 perfect. He set the oven to 375 and began to combine the components. In a larger mixing bowl 1/3 of the sauce was mixed with half the ricotta mixture and all of the pasta to evenly coat it. Spooning half the pasta mixture into the casserole dish he then finished layering the rest of the sauce, pasta, and ricotta and topped it off with a generous layer of mozzarella. Happy with his handiwork he placed the dish in the oven and set the timer to 20 minutes.

Opening the fridge to see what drinks there were to offer he took note of a few sodas, a half bottle of wine and a pitcher of water. ' _That'll work'_.

He had a few minutes to just relax before anyone was expected over and he took that time just to enjoy the fact that he was expecting _welcomed_ company.

 **AN: Alright I've gone through and made a few changes. If you have any suggestions, reviews are welcomed ^.^  
Chapter 6 is completed and if I'm motivated to review it today, then I'll post it today. Chapter 7 has been started but I'm not sure when I'll have it ready. I'm putting together a few vendor presentations regarding a system I am totally unfamiliar with in an effort to impress a job I'm interviewing for. So 90% of my time is spent on research and collecting data and working with the varying sales managers to whittle from 7 vendors to present 3 options, but select a single vendor and explain why I think they will be the best fit….yea any ways, I'm busy lol.  
**


	6. Tit for Tat

Shortly after pulling dinner from the oven Adrien heard Nino coming in with the girls.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in." He threw the girls a beaming smile.

Alya was quick to notice the aroma that permeated the air.

"Whatever you made smells amazing, thanks for having us over."

"No problem, I hope you guys like Italian, I made ziti tonight."

Being the bachelor pad it was, there wasn't a table for the group to sit around. Instead they made up their plates in the kitchen and sat on the ground around the coffee table. There was silence at first as everyone started to eat, a silence that was interrupted by a very impressed Nino.

"Dude, this is fantastic! I don't care what decisions you're trying to make. You're living here and cooking every night." Nino was dead serious there was no way he could let Adrien move out.

"Thanks Nino, I appreciate the couch of course but the den is just a touch too small, I'm still looking at options. I make this promise though. I will come over and cook for you guys any time you want."

"Deal!" Alya yelled. The food was heavenly, a perfect sweet to savory contrast and she wanted to take Adrien up on his offer before he had a chance to change his mind.

Marinette watched Adrien swell with pride. He was known for doing well with anything he did, but she could only imagine what hurdles he had to overcome on his own to learn how to cook and cook this well at that. Part of her wanted to have him bake something to see if he had mastery of that as well. Failing to have anything significant to add to his accomplishment Marinette just smiled. "What they said. This is amazing, you've come really far from just having your meals served to you."

Adrien laughed "You have no idea the food poisoning I've endured at my own hand. You would think I was a masochist. Hopefully those days are behind me."

They took turns filling each other in on the adventures of their days. Nino had been in the studio for most of it putting together new music and following up with a few of his wedding clients. While his end game was to be a famous DJ and he has gotten some great gigs in the past. DJs for weddings were always high in demand and he could use that money to get by while he built up his name. Alya had received her interview itinerary and found out that should the interview with the hiring manager go well, she would then be scheduled the following day for a panel interview. With that information and the location being so close to the ocean, she decided to turn it into a 3 day vacation. Nino didn't have any pressing appointments so he agreed to go and spend the time with her. Marinette groaned about how busy work was. She rarely had time to do anything other than eat, sleep and shower. However the Band-Aid on her inner elbow raised Adrien's eyebrow.

"It would seem that you found time in your hectic day to donate some blood." Nodding to her arm.

Glancing down Marinette realized that she had forgotten to take the Band-Aid off from earlier.

"Oh that. No, I had to do some blood work earlier to check levels or something. I actually had to convince my boss that I was required to go. Talk about not being happy – down time in the shop is hard to come by. I finally convinced her to just let me take my lunch early as a tradeoff."

Knitting his brows together in concern Adrien wondered if there was something serious going on.

"Everything ok?"

"Oh yea, nothing major. Just routine stuff. I'm Fine." _The two smallest words that hide such a big lie. How nice he asked though._

"Well that's good to hear, if you need anything just let me know."

"I appreciate the offer, and don't be surprised if I take you up on it some time." Marinette jokingly replied with a giggle.

The conversation died off for a bit as everyone finished off their plates and placed them in the sink. Adrien ever the competitor challenged Marinette to Ultimate Mecha Strike three, he may get his ass beat but he was going down swinging. Alya and Nino took up a spot on the couch to cuddle and watch the two duke it out to see who would reign supreme.

Adrien had taken a seat leaning forward in the arm chair that was to the left of the tv. While Marinette sat on the couch in front of it mimicking Adrien's posture. Not long into their first match they were standing, twisting and turning as if their physical movements would translate in the game and help dodge an attack. Eyes set in determined concentration on the television set Adrien was growing frustrated as all he could do was dodge and he hadn't landed more than one or two hits. He glanced over to Marinette and saw her face hard in stern focus, thumbs flying on the buttons and her tongue sticking out a bit clenched between teeth. The sight was hilarious and adorable; yet also gorgeous. So much so that when her face instantly switched to fanatical shock and awe and she screamed her triumph Adrien had to confess he lost because he became distracted by her.

Now Adrien wasn't a poor sport, he just believed in 'you get what you give'. So if he lost because she distracted him, then he would simply need to distract her. Sure she seemed more mature these days and a bit more collected, but he knew that it probably wouldn't take much to send her back to the old college ways.

"Gahhhh Again!"

" Woot Woot Absolutely Agreste. You keep losing that easily I'll be happy to beat you all night long."

"I'm going to grab a beer, you guys want anything?" Walking over to the fridge he opens it up and Marinette follows to view the options.

"Actually I was thinking of making a rum and coke." Nino states rising off the couch to join Adrien in the kitchen.

Adrien agreed, "That actually sounds better, Alya, Mari – you guys want that too?"

They both agreed. Pulling out the glasses, Rum and Coke he began to pour. Knowing the night was still early, he could afford to be heavy handed on the rum side. He may have even made Marinette's the heaviest. First step in operation _Mecha Strike Victory_. Yea, she may not have intentionally distracted him earlier. But if anyone said that Adrien would just brush it off as semantics. This. Was. War.

What he needed now was a diversion to let the effects of her drink start to work. She had already had a glass of wine with dinner, so it shouldn't be much longer before she would be a bit tipsy.

"You know I bought a deck of cards earlier for the four of us to have some fun. Anyone interested in playing spoons?"

Alya jumps at the chance, she loves this game. She's usually played with more people, but they could make it work with four.

"Count me in! Tonight you lose Mari."

"Anytime you want to battle me on my own turf, take your best shot. The game controller is right here." She waves the controller taunting her bestie.

"I guess you realized you couldn't beat me Adrien, what a shame, and here I thought I heard a challenge when I laid you flat." That win sure did give her a smug edge.

"Nonsense, I invited you all here to spend time together and have fun, while I could play video games all night, I thought I might take this intermission to involve our friends. The twist to this game of spoons is that the person who doesn't get a spoon has to take a 3 second drink from their cup. To be counted out loud by the person who grabbed the first spoon. Alya starts cackling "Oh I have got this in the bag, I hope no one has plans in the morning, you're about to have a wicked hang over."

Locating the spoons in one of the small drawers in the kitchen Adrien then places them flat in a triangle shape in the middle of the coffee table. Everyone plots the best spot to sit to try and give them some advantage over the other person to have better spoon reaching access and then the game commences. Since the game was Adrien's idea he was the dealer, swiftly shuffling the cards and evenly distributing 4 cards to each player. He then takes a card off the top of the deck to have five cards in his hand, removing the one he doesn't need he passes it facedown to the left where Alya sat. In this game each player selects a card they don't want and discards to the person on their left. The goal is to make four of a kind. The last person to discard places their card in a 'trash' pile. The dealer then draws from the deck again and the cycle continues. When someone gets four of a kind they can obtain a spoon any way they like. They could do it stealthily waiting for realization to hit someone and have them go into a frenzy to get a spoon. Or they can shout their achievement while simultaneously grabbing a spoon and throw everyone into a panic.

Around and around the cards flew. Several rounds later Adrien had –SPO , Nino had SP, Alya had S and Marinette had SPOON – one more letter and Marinette would be the loser. The battle had been so brutal thus far that there was an unspoken alliance amongst the three to see Marinette go down. To her credit had they of counted to three a little faster the last 5 times she had to drink, she would not be in the state she was in now. Head fuzzy and lips numb, she felt she wasn't going to give in to failure, but fantasy and reality have never been the same thing, and she was missing the shared glances as each person would make their cards slightly visible to the other, indicating the cards they were looking for. Had she of known that was what was going on, she wouldn't have been shocked when Adrien excused himself to the bathroom, only to come back, lean on the coffee table as if to support him while he tried to sit down. Oh no, that whole leaning maneuver was so he could put his palms on the table and slip a spoon away with sleight of hand. Just then in unison Alya and Nino each grabbed their spoons. This meant she lost, AND she had to drink.

For having such a competitors spirit Marinette couldn't tell what she dreaded worse… the loss or the drink. She was at the perfect drunk state. She was lucid, having a great time and drunk – but not the overboard fall on your ass when stepping forward drunk. It was a dangerous fine line that she was nervous to cross. Thankfully her friends took pity and counted to three almost instantly. She had already needed to fill her cup twice during the game and was relieved to not have to do it a third time. Adrien had been a perfect host by letting her stay seated while he would fill it for her.

"HA! Look who lost now, oh how the mighty have fallen! "Mimicking a scene from sponge bob alya placed her hands in the air and ran a circle with Nino around Marinette declaring their win.

Adrien reserved his victory dance for his rematch with her. Everything was falling into place. They could have kept playing spoons until there was a true winner, but just watching Marinette lose made a winner out of all of them.

"Mari, you wanna give up now? Or are you ready for our rematch?" Adrien teased with a smirk

"Adrien, if I could beat you with my eyes closed and only using my toes… What makes you think I would lose just because I've had a few drinks? What do you think I do when I drink? I play, so this is nothing new." Marinette scoffs at his assumed attempt to underestimate her.

"Then let's play."

Reclaiming their stances in front of the tv, it was back to shifting and swerving. Marinette had somehow managed to push the haze and fuzziness down and use all her control to focus on the game.

Adrien couldn't believe it, he just couldn't believe it! He was losing. All that work and planning was failing. If anything she played better when inebriated. He had to think fast, he felt the sweat slipping down his back from all the rivalry that night and the frustration from possibly losing again. He had to think fast…ugh but it was just too hot to concentrate and while he hadn't drank nearly as much as Marinette had, he was starting to feel the effects. Finally it hit him. For once in his life he was so happy that he was a model.

Marinette had just been in the middle of a charge attack that needed a couple seconds to gather up enough energy before it could be unleashed unto Adrien's mecha when there was a sudden flurry of activity to her right.

.01 seconds was all it took for her to lose complete focus. To her right, not even 2 feet away, stood a sweat glistening half naked Adrien. She had no idea how long she stared at his muscles as they rippled with his movements. Completely entranced by the flex of his bicep, following the muscle up the arm to the shoulder and ever so slightly leaning back to view the expanse of broad defined masculine perfection that tapered into a perfect v at the lower back.

Had it not been the whoop of excitement from Adrien and the jeering of her other friends she wasn't sure she could have made it back to reality on her own. Marinette had cotton mouth badly, her brain slowly coming back online after that shut down. It finally clicked that her mouth was dry because her jaw had basically become unhinged and had remained gaping for who knows how long. Managing to close her mouth, she looked up to see an ecstatic Adrien practically jumping up and down from his win. She barely even registered the fact that she was no longer hold her controller.

"T-t-that's fair not, who-what, woah" _Holy shit I'm stuttering. Get. It. To-gether. Deep breath Mari, think of a sentence and then say it._

Returning her eyes once more to him and seeing he still had his shirt off, she could feel the inferno just emanating from her cheeks to the tip of her ears. ' _Jesus Mari you're a designer, you will see ..Scratch that… you HAVE seen half naked men. Men in underwear, men in swimsuits. This is no big deal. Callllllllm dooooooown. Deep breaths annnnd go!_

Awkwardly clearing her throat she attempted to challenge a tie breaker. "Adrien. Breaker now tie. Nonono! Breaker tie now, ughh _*slow down deep breath*_ I demand a tie breaker."

"Ha you're on!" _Oh Adrien you just wait, I'll win this one._

Almost right off the bat Adrien is taking the lead, it was all Marinette could do to block and dodge. If for nothing else this match wasn't about winning, it was about revenge. Maybe it was the desire to beat him, maybe it was a glass of wine and two large cups of rum and coke, or maybe it was just to give him a taste of his own medicine. But the time had come. In his moment of vulnerability trying to execute the same charged attack she had. Mari took off her shirt too. ' _It's just like a bikini top, it's just like a bikini top, I don't care what he thinks or if he judges what he sees, it's just like a bikini top.'_ Using the mantra to give her the motivation to go through with her stunt. And it worked, hook line and sinker.

"Oh my god Mari! What are you doing?!" Alya shrieked laughing uncontrollably.

With as sweet and innocent face she could manage she smirked at her friend, "What? I was hot. Besides it's just like a bikini top, no biggie. Oh sorry Adrien it looks as though I won this round which means I reign supreme, suck it!" _Thank god for calling on my alter egos confidence._

"Anytime"

"What?"

"Huh" _Oh fuck did I just externalize my internal thoughts. Gahh what the hell was that! Two seconds ago she was a stuttering tomato puree. How in the hell did she regroup so quickly._

"Nothing that was just an odd response to my trash talking"

Reaching up to scratch behind his neck and looking down to the left he tried to think of a way to explain it away. "Ah yea sorry, the drinks are starting to get to me. I meant that I would accept your challenge anytime." Taking a moment to commit her image to memory he tried not to stare so openly. Her physique was perfect. She had a slim hourglass shape with a full bust, flat stomach, waist cut in that then flared out to her hips. She had chosen a lavender bra with tiny rhinestones that sparkled as she moved. THAT WAS NOT HELPING. Every time she moved his eyes would catch at the glint and he would be staring again. _Maybe if I put my shirt back on, she will too. But do I really want her to? Yes..yes I do if I don't want to have a larger problem later that ill have no help handling. Who am I kidding there's going to be a larger problem…fuck I gotta stop thinking about her body and the way her breast would heave in my hand if I could just touch it for a moment. They looks so round, and heavy and soft. No no no, abort, abort thought process. Return this order of wood to sender._

Turning around to grab for his shirt he kept his back to Marinette to give himself a moment to collect his thoughts and tug it over his head.

"Well I suppose if all the challenges are done for this evening, I'll be needing to redress as well." Searching around she can't seem to find it her shirt.

"That's odd it was here just a minute ago." Bending down and searching under the couch she immediately starts to panic. How far could it have possibly gotten? How is she going to get home without a shirt on!?

The group started to turn over cushions, check under the entertainment console and chair – but to no avail. As the three were searching the floor Adrien happened to catch something out of the corner of his eye. Looking up he can see Plagg down the hallway trying to keep from laughing and holding up Marinette's shirt.

"Plagg!"

Startled Plagg zooms off to Nino's room – shirt in tow – and his friends take turns asking what Plagg meant?

"Ah no sorry guys, I stubbed my toe on the entertainment stand. Sorry for the alarm. I'll be right back."

Adrien scurried to Nino's room to have a word with his dear kwami.

"Plagg you get here right now." He whisper yelled. Soon a tiny black cat emerged with tears from the restrained guffaws' he couldn't let slip.

"What in the hell are you doing?! Sneak Marinette's shirt back in the living room, pronto!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"How much did you enjoy those Kraft singles from before?"

"How many loofas do you want to buy, or would you rather I up the stakes. Threatening a cat's camembert is a dangerous thing." The two just stared intently at each other, waiting on the other to back down. Finally Adrien broke.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm bored, I'm just trying to have some fun. Watching you squirm is the highlight of my day. Besides the reaction she had when you took off your shirt, she likes you. And you didn't seem to disgusted when she tossed this off-"he waved the shirt in Adrien's face. "It smells nice, want a whiff?"

"No Plagg, I don't go around hoarding women's clothing and sniffing it in the privacy of my friend's room. Return it. Now."

"No."

"Ghaaa…" Walking over to the closet he located his travel bag and pulled out a white undershirt. He would need to come up with a story later on to return her actual clothing, but in the meantime he could give her something to cover up with. Returning to his friends he casually tosses the shirt to Marinette.

"Here, you can have this and when I find out where your shirt is I can return it later."

Pulling it over her head and running her arms through the short sleeves she couldn't help but notice the scent. It was musky yet sweet. Clean but masculine. It was 100% Adrien.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it, it was starting to get cold."

"Wow Mari you must have really gotten over that crush you had on him"

The white hot flame that went down Marinette's spine could have peeled the flesh from her vertebrae. She shot a glare that was so full of hate and murderous intent it was a shock that Alya didn't die on the spot.

Cocking his head to one side and raising a brow, Adrien folded has well-muscled arms across his chest.

"What do you mean Alya?"

"Well back in Col-" She attempted to clue him in but Marinette was NOT having it.

"Not today mugglefucker. First off, it's not your story to tell. Secondly, had I really wanted him to know, I would have told him. Third, as a best friend you should know these types of things are said in confidence. Or should I spill your secrets to Nino?" The anger was roiling inside her gut. It took all her will to suppress the feelings of embarrassment and rely on anger to keep the tell-tale signs of a blush off her face.

"So what you're saying is that Alya was trying to tell me you have a crush on me?" The ever growing smirk on Adrien's face did nothing to make Marinette feel better. Maybe if she wasn't trying so hard to avoid Adrien's eyes – she would have noticed that this interested him. Instead all she could see was his mouth and the smirk that made her feel like he was laughing at her. She needed a quick getaway and she needed it now.

"Had. Past tense. Moved on since then." _Thaaaat's it, stick to anger. Draw on my ladybug confidence. Don't falter._

"What changed?"

"I'm really not interested in rehashing this. You weren't even meant to know anything as it's all irrelevant anyways. Look, I had a great time tonight. I came, I ate, I reign supreme, and I'm out. See you at home Als. Or not, right now maybe it's better you stay the night at Nino's, I'm pissed and you know I can be a petty asshole when not given enough time to let something go." Reaching for her purse and sliding her shoes on, Adrien stopped her at the door before she could leave.

"Don't leave like this, stay and have one more drink, we can all relax and put something on the tv. Just wind down the night and end it on a better note." Adrien coaxed.

Pulling her phone from her purse she checked the time 11:45. Using her thumb and pointer finger she pinched her nose in frustration. She had skipped patrol last night which meant she absolutely couldn't miss a second night in a row. It would take her a least two hours to do the circuit if she left now and transformed in an alley. By the time she makes it home it will be almost 2 am and she had to be at work by 8.

"I'm sorry Adrien, but I have a job in the morning, If I don't leave now I'm afraid I'll oversleep."

"Well do you want to do coffee sometime, I feel like there's a lot that I need to know about all of this and you're leaving me hanging here."

"How could I leave you anywhere, when it isn't your business? So the answer to your coffee request, is a No. Have a good night." With that she left the apartment and started on her nightly duties.

 **AN: As always reviews and ideas are welcomed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'm going to start moving things along going forward.**


	7. Something's gotta give

**A/N I struggled getting this chapter together, I am so sorry for the delay! Crazy life, writers block and honestly I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting a little bored with the back story, but it serves a purpose for later on, so I must maintain the pace. To those who messaged me, thank you for your encouragement! It means the world to me!**

Time never ceased to amaze Adrien. He had been having so much fun reconnecting with his friends over the last several days that he had almost forgotten about the meeting he had set up with his father for today.

The feeling of dread washed over him as he knew this conversation would be a make or break in their father/son relationship. The word relationship being more of a technicality than a reality. Nino had left earlier that morning to meet with a potential customer and so Adrien found himself pacing the living room mumbling the words he wanted to say to his father. Every point, demand, and reasoning he had prepared in his mind, he had already countered by what he knew his father would say. Honestly he had repeated this dialogue so many times in his head, the presence of his father was merely a formality.

Plagg could tell Adrien was tense, he always got this way when there was something important on the line. In this case it was the kid's future. His freedom. He would have drifted over and mocked him for worrying over such trivial matters, but Adrien was much more animated this time and hadn't been this serious about something since over a year ago. Finding it best to stay hidden, Plagg snagged a wheel of camembert and let the kid work it out himself. _Humans… Always worked up over something._

Checking the time Adrien confirmed he needed to head out to the metro station. He had sold his car back in America, it was just too expensive to have it freight delivered here and go through customs and the paperwork was too time consuming. Much easier to sell it. Considering that Paris has one of the world's best public transportation systems, he really didn't need a car anyway. You just had to know how to get around and what hours were best avoided if possible. The trains and sometimes even the buses could be completely over crowded as most Parisians preferred to use the city's transportation system and of course you have to factor in tourists.

Walking the few short blocks to the hub he found himself descending onto the metro station line platform. Using his pass to scan through the glass partition he followed the line color that correlated to his line number and line destination. The platform was full of activity between tourists who were completely lost and Parisians simply trying to avert their eyes from the pleading tourists so that they could get where they needed to be. The white tiled walls held cork boards with local advertisements of events that would be happening, or people in search of missing pets. There were a few seats that were anchored to the wall and further down the tunnel he spotted a few vending machines. Returning his attention back to his departure location he noticed that his train had just pulled in. Walking into the train he took support by holding onto a metal rod and braced himself for what was to come next.

Somewhere between boarding that train and finding himself standing in front of the mansions front gate, Adrien had checked out. His stomach all wound in knots, he took a deep breath and punched the code into the keypad to enter the grounds.

Nathalie was there to greet him in the foyer.

"Hello Adrien, your father is waiting for you in his study."

"Thanks Nathalie, I'll see you later."

She gave him a small reassuring smile and led him to his father's office. A single knock later and he was being led inside.

Adrien glanced to his father and immediately knew something was wrong. In the time he had known the man he never saw him so much without his shirt pressed. So who was this man with his hair disheveled, wearing jeans and a plain black T shirt? Upon further inspection he saw his father's skin was a few shades darker, but that did nothing to hide the dark circles under his eyes or the look of defeat that seemed to all encompass him.

"Father…are you alight?"

Not looking up at his son Gabriel let out a ragged sigh and closed his eyes, trying to come up with an appropriate answer. "It's been an exhausting journey and work has piled up despite my efforts to manage it while I was away. I really don't have time for small talk Adrien, what is it you wanted to discuss?"

"Of course you wouldn't have time to speak with your own son. I'll be more direct next time. We need to come to terms that I can actually agree on if I am going to continue working for you. After what happened with Lila I resign my position as a full time model. I want to learn the business end of the company, I need something that can translate into the workforce away from here should I choose to leave the family business altogether. I need you to give me the opportunity and tools to gain experience that I can take and grow from. I can't exactly land careers with a resume that reads 'can pose for camera's'. I'm asking you for this, but if it's not something you will help me with, then I will find what I'm looking for on my own."

Bracing for impact Adrien waited for what he knew was to come.

Gabriel just turned his chair around and stared out the window without making a sound. This was not a new move, nor was it dismissive. Adrien had been in this position too many times to assume he was being dismissed. His father did this when he wanted to think without anyone trying to decipher his reactions. Just as he was about to give up and leave anyway, Gabriel gave voice to his thoughts.

"I don't mean to push you away. I don't mean to close off. I can't explain why things are the way they are. Its better this way until I can make it all right again. Maybe then you'll understand why, maybe then when you do learn everything, you can find a way to forgive everything."

"Father…..I just want you, I want the relationship we had before mom left. Please, I..."

"That's enough. One day, maybe we can, but today is not that day, be patient and you will learn why."

A long silence stretched between the two, emerald eyes locked on steel blue.

"Fine. Then let's discuss what I came here for. I am asking you, as my father for guidance and support, to grant you an opportunity to show me that you have an interest in my future and not just as an asset to your fashion brand."

"Adrien I have always wanted the best for you. I have a personal chef to make sure you eat healthy, you _had_ a private tutor that was giving you the best education money could buy, and I ensured you were given every advantage in everything you did. You have never wanted or needed for anything that I could provide for you. The fact that I have you modeling my clothing line is so you can earn your own money to do with what you wish. If you wanted to learn more, all you needed to do was ask. My hope is that one day you would take over the brand when I no longer can. You can storm in here and make demands all you wish, but I have never stopped you from improving your self-worth and intellect. Should you choose to not take over the company and continue the line, that is your choice and I can't force you, just know that you would be ending my legacy as I would have to sell it to someone outside of the family who won't value it the way I do. Forcing you to take ownership would be no better, much rather I have someone who loves fashion turn it into their own venture, then have a bitter owner let the brand become disgraced and ruined."

Hearing his father easily relinquish the idea of the company being handed down the line was an unexpected weight lifted off his shoulders. He was sure that there would be a much haggled over debate that may have even ended with being disowned and un-inherited. Now that this was cleared, father and son were able to discuss the details of these negotiations and come to an agreement both were happy with.

After the conversation with his father, Adrien wasn't sure how he felt. On one hand he was relieved to finally agree with him on something. All he had wanted in life was a father who gave a damn about what he wanted and took his perspective into consideration. To his astonishment, that was how their discussion seemed to go. In retrospect though it felt like a success that was only gained due to the mental and physical strain that it appeared Gabriel was under. Much like in the past, Gabriel refused to tell Adrien anything personal that was going on. He wouldn't elaborate on his disheveled appearance, the barely noticeable – but still visible – weight loss, or the pain that could be seen in his eyes. He looked as if he had been at war with something for a long time and was barely keeping himself together. He still stood proud and sturdy, but his voice betrayed him. The more Gabriel spoke, the more it became apparent the man was exhausted.

Still, Adrien couldn't understand the change. Given past experiences it was not uncommon for his father to be bored with what he had to say. Often times interrupting his thoughts to shut him down quickly and deny whatever request or question Adrien had. He never listened before. So what changed? Why now? If he was under strain and pressure, it would almost serve the opposite reaction where his father would be more aggressive and less inclined to hear him out.

While these thoughts held merit and would require sorting out later on. Adrien was not about to let the 'why's 'tarnish his win. Because that was what it was, Adrien finally won! While he did concede to still do modeling jobs for his father it was no longer on a regular basis. He would be used for big events, such as shows, line premiere dates, and conventions. As far as posing for magazines, Gabriel left that up to Adrien with the caveat that should Adrien want to do a magazine shoot – he had to inform Gabriel 4 months in advance for booking purposes. In exchange they discussed Adrien going to University to pursue his own passions. Gabriel tried convincing him to do a double major in Business management and accounting, with a certification in project management. The idea being that Adrien learn the foundation of operating the company. Gabriel could then take over after his schooling finished to polish him into refining what he learned to operate the family business specifically. With that background, and the life time of being a model Adrien would be thoroughly versed in the back end operations as well as evolving fashion trends.

The idea held weight, but he wasn't about to commit to it yet. He had gone into that talk just wanting an opportunity to pursue something that could offer him real opportunities in the future. Heaven forbid he were ever in an accident and became disfigured, then what would he do for modeling? Yes he had access to the Agreste fortune, but he wanted to provide for himself and stand on his own. He wanted to make himself skillfully marketable. Now that he realized his father was willing to negotiate with him, he didn't know what exactly he wanted to do. He never really had options before. He had a passion for fencing and physics, he was bilingual and played piano on a concert level. He needed time to delve into his heart to find what it was he was most passionate about and revisit this discussion. In the meantime he would have a contract drawn up by their legal team binding them to the terms they discussed for the renewed modeling contract. The contract itself would flesh out the details of payment being in the form of tuition and living expenses for a school Adrien's choice. He needed to make sure that was drafted, signed and executed quickly before Gabriel snapped back to his old self and refused it.

The two briefly discussed the option of Adrien moving back home to his old room, but he declined the offer. He had been truly loving the time he had spent with his friends and didn't want to go back to the way things were at the mansion. Adrien told his father that he was looking for his own apartment but in the interim was taking residence at Nino's apartment. Gabriel had never warmed up to his friend and it would seem he wasn't about to now. Surprisingly he didn't make a comment, just the quickest flash of a grimace crossed his face before it returned to its normal stony countenance and he offered a single nod of understanding.

With that negotiations closed and Adrien was about ready to turn and leave; when he was surprised to find his father coming around the desk to shake his hand. Or so he thought. Reaching out his hand in anticipation of his father grasping it, he was shocked when he was instead pulled into tight hug. Tensing at first Adrien couldn't help but return the gesture and hope that maybe his father was starting to come around. Hope though, is a dangerous thing.

Later that evening Adrien could no longer hold back that itch he hadn't scratched in so long. Since he had first attempted to approach lady bug he hasn't tried to transform again. Still unsure of how to go about this particular reunion he knew he needed to try at least, and tonight he was feeling lucky.

"Plagg claws out!"

The blinding green light pervaded the alley he had snuck down and washed over his skin. Leaving behind a handsome black cat with messy golden brown hair and striking green eyes. Taking in a deep breath of air, it felt to him that all was just about right in the world, and once he had his lady by his side once more he could start his perfect new beginning.


	8. Coffee Date

**AN: This is a preview of chapter 8. No more will be added to it, so any updates made to this chapter will be strictly rephrasing if something doesn't sound right when I proof read it later on. I wrote all of this in one shot tonight and only ran the spell/grammar check on it. You guys waited so long for the last chapter I figured you deserved this one, I had a lot of fun writing it!**

 **A/N update: Completed revision, reworded some stuff here and there and took out a small part that was duplicated. I think I got it all, but if you notice anything to egregious let me know! Starting on Chapter 9 tonight. Thanks!**

It was late into the night and the crescent moon was hidden behind the clouds. Ladybug had been in the middle of her normal patrol. When she spotted... _him._ There was no mistaking the silhouette that was looking in the opposite direction of her. It may have been over a year since she had seen him, but how could she ever forget. Knee jerk impulse was to run over to him and hug him. A huge piece of her was so overjoyed that he was right there! Her heart felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest. The thumping to the point of almost being painful. Her pulse that had initially skipped several beats was now pulsing to an insane rhythm. Yet she couldn't move from her spot. The anger, the hurt, the betrayal…what had happened when he wasn't there. She hadn't forgiven him for it. She had it locked in her head and buried in her heart and she couldn't face it. When he disappeared and never came back, she never thought she would have to talk about it. She was frozen with anxiety, as much as she wanted to see him she couldn't get passed not ever wanting to see him again either. Never had she been so torn in all her life.

As if feeling the tension in the air, Chat turned around and was equally rooted to the spot. Relief and anxiety swept through him as he realized he had found – or rather was found – by the one person who could make him whole. Her face was unreadable, she was clearly stunned and even in the dark he could see the tense grip she had on her yo-yo. Bracing himself for what he didn't know would happen next he started to take a few steps forward, when on the wind he heard a soft " _no"._

Had he not been transformed he wouldn't have heard it, but being as he was right now it was as clear as if she had been standing next to him.

"Ladybug"

"No" she whispered again. The extreme sadness washed over her and she felt like she was about to throw up. This was too much, just too too much.

"Please" he begged while extending his hand forward. He hoped she might step forward at least to close the distance.

"Chat…what are you doing here? Where have you been? Why have you come back?" Her voice cracked on that last one.

"My lady I came back because this is where I belong, we are a team and I need you. I came out here to find you. I tried to speak with you before a few days ago but..."

"That was you? Why didn't you say anything!? How long have you been here hiding?"

"I wasn't hiding, I didn't know how to apologize for the way I left...

"Apologize?" she gasped

"An apology won't cut it. You don't know what happened. You weren't there. You don't get to just come back, say you're sorry and think I'm going to just welcome you back as if nothing's changed. EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED!" Ladybug was shaking with anger and hot tears ran tracks down her cheeks. She had just started the process to put the pieces back together, and now with him here...it felt obliterated. Emotions running unchecked and wild.

"Tell me how to make it right ladybug, I'll do anything. Please." He tried to take another step in her direction but she put her hands up in front of her to stop his approach.

"Convince me to forgive you. Or make me forget what happened."

"What _did_ happen?"

Ladybug looked away, too ashamed to admit it out loud. "If you had been here you wouldn't have had to ask" she whispered. With that sentence hanging in the air she leapt away as far and fast as she could. It was all just too much and she needed distance. But even as her mind carried her away from her partner, her heart stayed behind with him. Or so she thought…

She had been hoisting herself roof to roof and running until her lungs burned and legs felt like rubber. She didn't go home, she couldn't. She had to run this out, get it out of her system. She had to run until her mind was too focused on how much her muscles hurt and too worn out to stay awake.

Eventually she landed on a high roof with a view of the whole city. Leaning over with her hands on her knees she tried to drag in huge gulps of air. The sweat was beading down her back and her bangs matted to her face. Every breath she took in seemed to have the opposite affect and felt like her wind pipe would close off, as she was about to panic from a lack of oxygen she felt arms thread through hers and pulling her into a standing position with their hands interlocking behind her head. Effectively locking her arms in place and yet also making it a world easier to finally breathe. It didn't take long before she recognized who was behind her.

"What the fuck are you doing?" She screamed.

"You were on the verge of a panic attack, I'm helping you breathe, at the rate you took off it was hard for me to keep up and then I found you doubled over."

"Why did you find me?" She hadn't wanted him one step closer before and here he was touching her. No permission, no consent given, what gave him the right! She seethed.

"You're my partner, we need to talk, and we have to work this out."

Ladybug now no longer winded couldn't help the almost manic laugh that escaped her chest. "Partner? Hahaha did you really just say we are partners? No, we aren't. Get off me!" She attempted to pull and struggle but his grip was iron clad.

"We are going to talk about this. I had to leave a year ago there were circumstances out of my control."

"And that's supposed to make it better? That's going to change how I feel? How? What could have been so important that you deserted me for a whole fucking year?!"

Dropping his voice a few octaves he leaned into her ear and whispered "Are you ready to learn my identity?"

Reeling from this new topic she couldn't help the outburst "For god's sake! Back one day and already jumping to the identity reveal AGAIN? If it wasn't a good idea then, what makes you think I even WANT to know now?"

"That's my point. Without revealing who I am I can't make you understand why I had to go. How do you expect me to make things right and start to fix things?"

"Maybe now you see MY point, you can't" She hung her head in defeat, this hurt so bad. The burden too large. He didn't understand. "Let me go now….please" she whimpered.

"Not without a promise to talk about this later. I have to know I will see you again."

With her head still hung down, through watery eyes she cracked a smile "You still want to see me again?" she laughed. _He deserves to hurt like I hurt. He deserves to know what his absence caused. I shouldn't have to carry this alone._ "Fine. If you think you can face the truth of what your absence did then meet me at Notre Dame, midnight in 6 months. Find a solution to the fact that the night you disappeared I battled an akuma on my own and damn near lost my life. Tell me how I am supposed to live with the fact that when it came down to me or the woman who was targeted by the akumatized victim, I saved myself and let her die."

She felt more than heard the sharp intake of breath. Quickly both their arms fell to their sides and he stood silently behind her. Staring but not seeing, breathing but not inhaling. Time seemed to have stopped in that moment.

Slowly ladybug turned but kept her eyes down hidden by her bangs. "I see the look of terror on her face every day. I close my eyes and I can see how wide hers are. I cover my ears and I can still hear her screaming. I still carry the scars I got that night from her finger nails digging into my arm where I tried to hold onto her. But I wasn't strong enough to pull us both back up. No one was there to help me. I lost here then and no miraculous power was capable of bringing her back from the dead."

There was no response from Chat. He still stared wide eyed and unmoving, a thousand thoughts cycling through his mind. Trying to process everything he had just heard. There was a small flash of light off in the distance that seemed to break him of his trance like state. Looking down at the top of her head, he let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

Hooking one clawed finger under her chin he raised her head so her eyes met his. He could see it clearly now. All the suffering she had been through, the self-loathing, the anger, the treachery. He had done this to her. Never in all of his life had he ever wanted to hurt her, and yet here he was, the cause of all of her pain. If it took him until his last dying breath, he would see her smile again, and he would be the cause of it. Tonight though, tonight was not that night. He had to first learn how to forgive himself before he was capable of convincing her to do the same.

At a loss for words all he could do was stare into those accusing eyes.

As she looked at him, she could see as realization washed over him. The light was dimming in his eyes and his jaw muscles displayed his clenched teeth. A part of her hated that she felt better by making him feel worse. Causing more pain was not the way to ease her own. Yet how could he ever understand if he didn't know. If he truly wanted to be a partner again, then it would take her being brutally honest and telling him everything she felt and she knew. Then and only then can they be partners if he can find a way to navigate back to her. Who was she kidding though? How could she ever trust him again? Without trust there can be no partnership.

Tearing her eyes away from his she stepped to the ledge, yo-yo in hand. Glancing back over her shoulder and committing to memory his image, feeling as if this is the last time she would ever see him. Then she took back off into the night. Heart heavy, soul troubled and feeling completely defeated.

Weeks went by and Marinette hadn't been in contact with anyone. She took up every job she could. She missed her therapy appointment and stopped her meds. She avoided lunch dates and game nights saying she had prior arrangements with work that couldn't be rescheduled. She couldn't fall asleep at night and she couldn't patrol, the risk of running into him again was too great. She felt raw and exposed and would not take the chance of bumping into Chat. Tikki tried to convince her that she still had a duty to perform and at the very least owed it to the Parisians to continue her responsibility. The truth was there hadn't been an Akuma in a very long time and the police were handling the normal crimes with ease. There wasn't an immediate threat. Then Tikki started harping on her about closing herself off from her friends and how she needed to keep taking her medications. It wasn't that she wasn't right, but Marinette desperately needed to just be herself and no one else at the moment. So she took off her earrings and hid them away for safe keeping. 

Adrien blew up her phone every morning seeing if eventually one of her mornings would be free for coffee. She had to give him an A for persistence, but always politely turning him down.

She constantly made sure she was out working before Alya got up, and didn't come back until she either knew she was staying with Nino, or would already be asleep in the apartment. A few times Alya had surprised her by waiting up most of the night wanting to talk to her. But Marinette would brush past her and claim that she was too tired to talk. She would smile and tell her everything was alright and that she was simply working this hard because she needed the money right now.

During one of the rare conversations she had with Alya she learned that her best friend got the job. Marinette had tried to be excited for her and they celebrated in their usual girl's-night-in way. However that only added to her stress. How was she going to afford this place on her own? Yes she's making really good money right now with her steady job and all her side gigs, but she was quickly approaching a burn out and didn't think she could maintain this stamina indefinitely. But she wouldn't bring that up, she was going to let the now _News Journalist_ celebrate this achievement and plaster the biggest smile on her face. Worries were for another day.

Days passed since the good news and Mari found that she had a decent bit saved up. Alya had agreed to pay that months half of the rent and next month's half. That gave Marinette time to put out an ad for a new roommate and save some extra money to float on her own if it took a few months to find someone.

One evening Marinette came home dead on her feet. She had worked at the tailor shop from 8am until 5pm. Came home ate dinner and got changed into her waitress outfit for the diner late shift she was working that night. Now its 3am and all she could think of other than needing sleep, was that she had to be up in 4 hours to go back to the tailor shop. She jammed the key in the door and thrust it open, instantly she notices the boxes everywhere. Naturally there would be boxes as Alya was moving out. A bit perturbed that Alya had been so carless to not leave a clear path to get anywhere, Marinette winded through the maze of boxes to get to her room. She had been on this particular work bender for the last 3 weeks ever since she started the diner job. She probably need a shower honestly, but the thought of standing on her feet anymore was a quick 'no' to that thought. She didn't trust herself to take a bath without falling asleep. Clearly the only solution is to put on clean pajamas and pass out as-is, leaving hygiene to be dealt with in the morning.

Soft light came in through the window and shined on Marinette's face. Her eyes still blurry from sleep she attempted to roll over and ignore the rays. The smell of coffee permeated her room and she scrunched her nose in confusion. _I thought Alya said she was staying with Nino? Do I get up and hang out with her since she won't be in the apartment much longer? Ughhh but I'm so tired. What kind of friend am I? I should get up._

Hauling her legs over the side of the bed and trying to find the motivation to get her out of her room. She convinced herself that if for nothing else, at least get up to get to the coffee machine. Taking a quick inventory of herself in the mirror she confirmed that she was hot. A hot mess. The pony tail she had up last night was pulled out in different places and had frayed hairs sticking up. Her eyeliner was smudged and she smelled like condiments from work…or is that BO. Taking a quick sniff she realized she couldn't tell and knew Alya wouldn't care. She had changed into a tank top and some booty shorts for bed so at least those didn't reek to high hell. Putting on her bunny slippers she slinked down the hall to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet but seeing as she was awake anyway, it made sense to perform some of her morning rituals before having to go work in the shop. As she's brushing her teeth she sees a man's razor and toothbrush on the sink. Picking up the toothbrush absentmindedly she turns it over in her hand as if it's going to be engraved with the reason as to why it's there. _Why would Nino leave his razor here? I should take it out to Alya so she doesn't forget it or something._

Finishing her task she set off for the kitchen in search of her lord and Savior Coffee.

The image didn't register in her mind. There was a coffee mug in front of her, which had a hand attached to it. Ok, this is not unusual, but the skin tone is surprisingly Caucasian... Connected to that hand is a Caucasian forearm, bicep, shoulder, neck and…..

"Holy shit Adrien!"

"Hey Marinette, coffee?" He asked as he nudged the cup at her once more.

Out of habit she takes the proffered cup in both hands. Too tired to register exactly what the hell was happening. "why are you here?"

"Didn't Alya tell you? I tried to call a couple times to see when you would be home with a key, but when I couldn't reach you Alya decided to just stay with Nino until their moving date and gave me her key instead."

"Why would she give you her key?"

"Well awhile back she had talked to me about my own apartment search and I told her I really hadn't found anything that I really liked at the time. She mentioned that she was concerned for you to finish out the lease on your own, and how much you really loved living here. So we agreed that I would take her room and she and Nino are getting their own place closer to her work. He still has a few loose ends to tie up around here with his wedding clients, but it works out for him in the end."

"Wait what! Why has no one talked to me about any of this?"

"Is there a problem with this arrangement? I thought you would be relieved, I thought it might be better than a stranger you don't know living with you."

"No. No it's fine, I'm hardly home as it is. It's just shocking to wake up and see you here before I've had a chance to even grab a sh…." _Oh my god I haven't showered?! Shit when was the last time I shaved my legs! Are my butt cheeks hanging out of my shorts? I feel a draft...ooooooh I bet he could see my ass if I turn to leave. Oh god what was the smell? I hope it was condiments…._

"Are you alright Mari?"

"-fine! Totally fine. Just ah…yea, definitely wish I would have gotten a heads up about all this so I was a bit more prepared." Marinette's face was beet red and her ears felt hot, this was mortifying.

"Go get your phone right now and show me your notifications."

"What? Why?"

"So I can see exactly how many unread texts and calls I've sent you, not to mention Alya's. You have rarely been around, and haven't bothered to keep up with us, if you had, you would have known."

"Can't deny that logic I suppose." Glancing the microwave clock sent Marinette into a panic. "Shit shit shit shit shit its 9:30 I'm an hour and a half late for work and I haven't even showered!

"You mean I live here and I still can't nail you down for our coffee date?"

Stopping mid sprint in the hallway she whirled on the spot with her hands on her hips. "First rule of living here, nothing gets referred to as a date. Not coffee, dinner, game nothing. We aren't dating, we are living together." Then it occurred to her that he used to text her every single morning asking about their coffee date, and how she hadn't gotten that text in four days. She had assumed he finally gave up…but... "How long have you been living here that I haven't notice?"

"3 or 4 days, you're very hard to cross paths with why?"

"I stopped getting texts when you moved in…is that because you thought by living here I was basically trapped into a never ending coffee get together with you?"

Looking a bit sheepish Adrien scratched the back of his neck and nodded a bit "Well I figured it would be a perk anyway, can't avoid my offer forever so to speak."

She turned and started her race back to the bathroom before he could see the grin on her face.


End file.
